Creek chub Lakes in Michigan

Found in 46 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Creek chub are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 46 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Creek chub is narrowly distributed — only 46 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Creek chub lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Creek chub documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Creek chub Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Sanford Lake	Benzie	A	15.8 ft	-
2	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
3	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
4	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
5	Avery Lake	Montmorency	A	27 ft	-
6	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
7	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
8	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
9	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
10	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
11	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	18.5 ft	-
12	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
13	Gun Lake Central Basin; Freesoil Township	Mason	A	14 ft	-
14	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	A	10.5 ft	-
15	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
16	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	11 ft	-
17	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
18	Lake Ann	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
19	Duck Lake	Muskegon	B	10.5 ft	-
20	Rose Lake	Osceola	B	10.8 ft	-
21	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
22	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-
23	Long Lake	Benzie	B	11.5 ft	-
24	Devils Lake	Lenawee	B	10.8 ft	-
25	Deer Lake	Charlevoix	B	11.5 ft	-
26	Mullett Lake	Cheboygan	B	13 ft	-
27	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
28	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	B	12.3 ft	-
29	Lower Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	B	12.3 ft	-
30	Elk Lake	Antrim	B	14.5 ft	-
31	Sanford Lake	Benzie	B	14.5 ft	-
32	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	B	12 ft	-
33	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	B	11 ft	-
34	Bass Lake Central Basin; Forsyth Township	Marquette	B	11.8 ft	-
35	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	12 ft	-
36	Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township	Lake	B	8 ft	-
37	Duck Lake North Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	B	9.5 ft	-
38	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	C	4.5 ft	-
39	Duck Lake	Gogebic	C	9.5 ft	-
40	Brown Lake	Jackson	C	8 ft	-
41	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	C	8 ft	-
42	Baldwins Lake	Cass	C	8 ft	-
43	Duck Lake	Muskegon	C	8.5 ft	-
44	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	C	5 ft	-
45	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	D	4.5 ft	-
46	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	D	5.5 ft	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have creek chub?

Creek chub are found in 46 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best creek chub lakes in Michigan?

The best creek chub lakes in Michigan by water quality are Sanford Lake, Pickerel Lake, Lake Margrethe, Higgins Lake East Basin, Avery Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.